Posts tagged “Thriller”

THICK-EPK-final1-1
Thick
ON MAY 29 | IN MOVIE REVIEWS | BY MICHAEL PARSONS | WITH NO COMMENTS

SUMMARY:

3 ½ out of 5 stars

“The only thing that ever got in crime’s way were the criminals”.

Stone-faced crime boss Theresa James (R & B artist/actress Tia Dae) delivers a lengthy allocution on criminal behavior to Marcell (Dominique Spencer), an underling who has unknowingly been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Her words are wise, even poetic, though it seems like an awful lot of wisdom (and creativity) to waste on someone who’s about to get waxed. “Welcome to your future,” she says as he meets his demise.

thickIt’s to be expected, I suppose. These guys never seem to pick up on insinuation, even when they know they’ve messed up (an exception would be the guy from “Lethal Weapon 2” who wanted to make sure he wasn’t standing on plastic when summoned into the boss’s office). And almost invariably, the turgid speech that precedes their punishment serves only to emphasize the unhealthy ego of the speaker – often an overblown or cartoonish villain with little substance to their words.

If “Thick” starts off looking a touch self-important, it quickly finds its equilibrium within the stage-worthy performances and a script that has something to say. Dae’s monotone Theresa is less sinister than pragmatic, possibly a metaphor for the country’s pre-occupation with work and financial stress, among other things. She fits the bill as the steely-eyed crime boss, virtually disconnected from anything that might distract her or expose a weakness. Her position, as we see, is a precarious one, and somewhere beneath the virtually expressionless demeanor lies a deep-seated paranoia, which bubbles over when her wife Roni (Pascale Piquion) shows even the slightest hint of independence.

The film is part “The L Word”, part “King of New York”, and Dae’s character, who is both protagonist and antagonist, owes a little something to Christopher Walken’s Frank White, who occasionally liked to unload his intellectual side on a disloyal employee or two before burying them with their betrayal money. But this ain’t the ’80s, and a relatively meager $500,000 in “get out” money stashed in Theresa’s house suggests that times are tough, even for less legitimate business enterprises.

Scheming employees, dirty cops, and a deteriorating personal life are part of this nasty equation. Trusted advisor “Lefty” Eggleston (Ronald Benson-El) plots to take over the empire while assassin Nina (Chaseedaw Giles) plans to run off with Roni , with whom she’s been having an affair. And the crooked detectives in Theresa’s pocket (Caleb Jackson and Mick McGuire) are looking for an early out, and a hefty retirement package to boot.

It might sound like it’s gearing up for a finale like “True Romance”, but “Thick” is definitely more chess match than bloodbath. The characters, though, are no less cut-throat than in more violent contemporary urban crime dramas. Save a few requisite executions, which are carried out in shadowy Washington, DC area settings like a sewer tunnel or in the back seat of a car, we mostly watch our characters manipulating their way to what they want. Local writer/directors Cheryl Brown and Anthony M. Greene (“The Henchman’s War”) have crafted something that looks like a CliffsNotes for an HBO drama series, tightly cinched in a 70-minute package. The micro-budgeted “Thick” covers a lot of ground while never appearing overly ambitious, with fine editing by Omar Juarez (who is also the cinematographer) and Manuel Santos. There are many earmarks of a great crime saga here, and it will be interesting to see if Brown and Greene revisit the material.

about the author: michael parsons

Husband. Father. Ex-salesperson. Movie nut. After pestering my parents for their commentary on “Star Wars” when I was four years old, my mind went into a creative frenzy. I’d imagined something entirely different than the actual film, which I didn’t end up seeing until its 1979 re-release at the Uptown Theater in Washington, DC. This was my formal introduction to the cinema. During that long wait, which felt like an eternity to a child, my mind was being molded by more corrosive stuff like “Trilogy of Terror” and “Rosemary’s Baby”, most of which I’d conned various babysitters into letting me watch on television ( I convinced one poor lady that “Jaws” was actually “Moby Dick”). The folks were pretty strict in that regard, so the less appropriate it was for a kid to watch, the more I was fascinated by it. Horror staples like “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th”, as well as lesser-known low-budget fare like “Madman”, “Sleepaway Camp” and “Pieces” all ended up sneaking their way into the VHS on a regular basis. Since then, I’ve developed an obsession with the entire film industry. Even though I watch and review a wide breadth of films these days, my appreciation for the campy, poorly lit micro-budgeters still lends itself to my evolving perspective on movies just as much as the summer blockbusters and Oscar contenders. As I recall my trips to the movie theater, I realize that this stuff is about much more than just a fleeting piece of entertainment. A couple years ago, I was finally given the opportunity to lend my opinion on films to a publication, The Rogers Revue, with a subsequent run at Reel Film News. It’s been both a privilege and a gateway to what we’re doing now. Most of my experience has come from interviewing independent filmmakers, who consistently promote innovation. The filmmaking process is grueling and relatively unforgiving. Fellow film enthusiast Eddie Pasa and I have created DC Filmdom as a medium for film reviews, discussion, and (inevitably) some debate. And so, the creative frenzy continues. (Michael is a member of the Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association).

Hey guys
I really gotta make updating this a priority BUT I am here to play catchup. Now the last time we spoke, Anthony Greene’s “THICK” had already screened I believe twice … BUT here is some news for you … THICK since then has screened 2 more times! Again in Washington, D.C at Busboys and Poets (dope ass spot) and we brought it to screen in my hometown, Baltimore, M.D at the Landmark Theater, downtown HarborEast! It was a sold-out crowd in DC & and a sizable one at the Baltimore screening!
“Busboys and Poets
“Landmark Theater”

As far as whats next for “THICK” … you’ll just have to stay tuned ! But as always thank you everyone for your time and support on this fantastic production. I have attended every screening for the film and the response has been phenomenal! We cannot thank you enough!

And if you haven’t seen the trailer you can check it out below. In the film I play the role of “Marcel”. Also check out the “Skyrocket Productions” film page for updates pertaining to “THICK” and other productions out of their camp https://www.facebook.com/SkyrocketProductions .

Hello everyone,
Above you can watch the Official Kickstarter campaign video for Don Barzegelli’s Webseries: When Life Gives You Lemons ! In this video you can see our vision for the series, whos involved, and what we need from you guys !

Here is a quick synopsis of the series:

This tale will take audience members on a comedic, action-packed adventure with Lou, Zip and various other “characters” met along the way. When Life gives you lemons follows the uncanny lives of two fellas dealing Lemonade, Lou and Zip. After the Local Drug Kingpin leaves on business Lou must fill his shoes, and watch this kingpin’s block.Lou reacquaints himself with the grungy, grimy dangerous game of hustling lemonade and faces everyday problems similar to that of the modern day drug cartel. Lou is suddenly plunged into a world of conflicts from the dilemma of being controlled by a powerful hierarchy, to chasing down his boss’s schizo sister. Meanwhile Zip’s devastating past as an addict constantly haunts him, as he struggles to adapt to this new environment; and to top it off an elite group of Federal gun yielding FDA agents start to track the cartel’s every move, and will stop at nothing to end this Sinister Syndicate! In the series I will be playing in the recurring role of “Eric”.

Be sure to visit my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Actor-Dominique-Spencer/104852579588294 to see the first official trailer for Anthony Greene’s Thriller “THICK” You can also see the trailer above as well ! You can check out the current theatrical poster “as seen above” for the film as well =) As always you can check back here for updates on the films production OR you can check in at the film’s Official Facebook Fan Page at: Please watch it, enjoy it, love it ! #THICK In the film you can see me in the role of “Marcel”

Im just playing catchup here and filling you guys in on what happened late last year! Well you all remember me blogging about AGreene’s Thriller “THICK”! Well it had its first screening at last years #RIFE film festival. For those who may not know what RIFE stands for, its short for “Reel Independent Film Extravaganza” ! Here numerous films are screened from all over the world, awards are given to films, and actors alike ! It is just a wonderful event that has been taken place for a number of years and is spearheaded by AGreenes production company “SkyRocket productions“! BUT theres more! The first screening of “THICK” was SOLDOUT as well as the Second Screening !! Frickin AWESOME !!I also have some pics of the cast/crew as well at the event(RIFE) for the films first screening ! Twas an awesome night and Im just thankful to have had the opportunity to be present !

Again #StayTuned for production updates regarding this film and check out some photos below of the cast and crew below !!
Blessed
Dominique Antonio Spencer
#teamDAS

Principal photography is officially wrapped for James Christopher’s crime/thriller short film “Clean Slate”. In the film ill be playing one of starring roles in the film as “Derrick Stevens”. 1st I want to give huge thanks to my bro and crazy talented actor Ronald Benson for mentioning me to our director and then my director for believing in me to deliver. Much love to the cast and an outstanding crew! As an actor you have expectations of how a set should be ran and this crew definetly was on their ps&qs. Everything seemed right and I learned so much from everyone. Keep an eye out for stills and info. On the film.

Im proud to announce that Mark Bridge and Samantha Southern’s short suspense/thriller film [Come Out To Play] is now on IMDb! You can visit the page at this link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2151340/ Again, it was my pleasure to work with such a hardworking/professional/ & dedicated group of folks who wanted to make a fantastic film! And Id be lying to you if I sat here and said to you that that goal was not accomplished! Again congratulations to everyone involved!

Quick note: Mark, your page is being edited as we speak. I first submitted you under the wrong “Mark Bridge” but I have since corrected the issue and your IMDb page is in the process of being created. If you do not see your name on the cast crew page it is more than likely because I was not able to post your position prior to the page being approved via submission. When I get home I will submit your film to IMDb for approval.